The Saltonstall Photographs

by cpaulmartin

From the Massachusetts Historical Society:
“The papers, photographs, art, and artifacts of the Saltonstall family, one of the founding families of Massachusetts, chronicle five centuries of family history and involvement in public life, from before the European settlement of America through the 20th century. Saltonstall family collections at the Massachusetts Historical Society include papers of Leverett Saltonstall (1783-1845), mayor and U.S. representative from Salem, Massachusetts; Eleanor “Nora” Saltonstall’s letters home to her family while serving as a volunteer in France during World War I; and the personal and political papers and photographs of U.S. Senator Leverett Saltonstall (1892-1979).”

 

A 1934 photograph of the children of Leverett Saltonstall.

“From left to right: Leverett Saltonstall (1917-1966), Peter Brooks Saltonstall (1921-1944), Emily Saltonstall (1920-2006), Susan Saltonstall (1930-1994), and William Lawrence Saltonstall (1927-2009)” (MHS) photographer unknown

The full collection of Saltonstall photographs can be accessed HERE.

Given the placard upon which this photograph was printed, I am inclined to think that it may have been sent to relatives as a depiction of the current appearance of the children. At the same time, however, I cannot be sure, and it may have been instead designed for singular insertion into the family album. Either way, the Saltonstall family photographs, such as this above, demonstrate the desire to capture the appearance in time of some of the family members.

I think it especially interesting that two of the oldest children are not looking at the camera, one due to his interest in taking the photograph seriously, another due to his lack thereof. The result gives us insight, however small, into the dynamics of the relationships between the children. It seems obvious that the two elder boys probably had either different maturity levels, or at least different ways of approaching the world. The other three children, meanwhile, seem a quite disinterested in sitting still for the photograph. Draw your own conclusions, but from my own experience from growing up in a large family, this image represents so much that is familiar to me: the eldest trying to set an example, his younger brother rebelling against and perhaps lampooning his efforts, and a set of younger children anxious to re-immerse themselves into their respective, very active worlds.

Perhaps I am reading too much into the photograph, and yet at the same time, my own similar experiences suggest that I can safely draw many of these conclusions. Thus, this photograph is, perhaps, an excellent example of how images can be used as historical sources, as the picture above perhaps evidences portions of the childrens’s personalities and relationships.
~Christopher Martin